


Edelgard Comes For the Church

by pdw



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Armpit Kink, Bisexual Relationship - Freeform, Body Hair, Brief mention of homophobia, Cunnilingus, Dominance, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Falling In Love, Fisting, Holding Hands, Humor, Muscles, My First AO3 Post, My First Fanfic, My First Smut, My First Work in This Fandom, Public Nudity, Rimming, Submission, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:40:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27724966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pdw/pseuds/pdw
Summary: Five years ago, Byleth recruited the church girl Mercedes to join the Black Eagles house. Now, after the return of her beloved professor, Edelgard suspects that Mercedes may still harbor loyalties to the church rather than the Adrestian Empire. The church girl has lately been acting strangely, and Edelgard means to get to bottom . . . errr, that is to say she means to get to the bottom of it.(My first attempt at fanfic. This should have five chapters total when it's done.)
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/Mercedes von Martritz
Comments: 6
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter 1

Edelgard von Hresvelg, Emperor of Adrestia, could not look away from her teacher. Specifically, Edelgard could not look away from her teacher’s arms, which Byleth had resting behind her head. The professor had just given everyone a five-minute break in the middle of class, so she was using the time to recline in her chair and rest her eyes, and Edelgard was using the time to admire how Byleth’s flexed biceps peaked in a way that made the emperor dream of things she would never dare tell another soul.

As Professor Byleth reclined in her chair with her eyes closed, Edelgard started to take inventory of all her teacher’s beauty. Byleth had sported pale green hair ever since her return a few weeks ago, and Edelgard just wanted to stare at it as long as possible. She didn’t often get this opportunity, so she was making use of every single second. Edelgard wondered if her professor’s gorgeous hair was as soft as it looked, and she wanted to run her fingers through it. It looked like it might feel like silk. If just the right situation presented itself, the emperor believed she could find an excuse to play with her professor’s hair. Perhaps Byleth might need to attend a formal event—perhaps after the war—and who knows, she might be running late. “My teacher,” Edelgard would say, “you have too much to do. At least let me attend to your hair.” This would be behind closed doors, so no one ever need to see the Emperor of Adrestia offer to do the work of a personal servant. What would it feel like to have Byleth’s soft hair tickle the skin between her fingers? 

Edelgard admired Byleth’s strong physique too. After all, the imperial leader took pride in her own muscular body. El had been blessed with good genes as well as an attitude that no one—no one!—would ever overpower her again. She also needed the strength to run in heavy armor while swinging a heavy axe. Whenever Byleth invited her to a meal, Edelgard could always count on a protein-heavy dish, something both the professor and the emperor needed to maintain their muscular physiques. At this point, Edelgard was becoming nearly as strong as the villainous Raphael. With all the hours she put in at the training ground, she could not help but admire her teacher’s bulging arm muscles and the work it took to maintain them. Edelgard might be the most powerful person in the Empire, but all that power could not bring her to ask, “My teacher . . . may I squeeze your arms? May I play with your hair? May I do anything, anything at all?”

Edelgard, though, was wise enough to maintain a degree of clarity when it came to her professor. Since the day El met her, Byleth agreed with all of the emperor’s plans and strategies. Every single one! Edelgard was not used to that kind of harmony with another person, let alone someone who once had a degree of authority over her. They’d always agreed about everything. With one exception.

Mercedes.

Five years ago, her teacher recruited the church girl to the Black Eagles, and Edelgard was just as suspicious today as she was then. True, Mercedes was a hell of an ally on the battle field. She always positioned herself in the perfect places, and her healing spells always came at the right times. She was the perfect healer, and Edelgard knew that the church girl was working on improving other skills too.

But yes, _church girl_ indeed. When Edelgard first met Mercedes, the older girl was wholly dedicated to the church and the goddess. Now that the emperor had revealed the truth about the church and the crests, Mercedes actually hadn’t changed that much, not in five years. And that worried the emperor—a lot. Byleth, upon her return, treated Mercedes without a hint of suspicion, and that seemed unwise. On one hand, we don’t want to alienate a powerful ally, thought Edelgard. We are talking about Jeritza’s sister, after all. On the other hand, Mercedes was so dedicated to the church. When her entire foundation went away, why didn’t she fundamentally change? Was it Jeritza’s steady recovery? Hard to say. But even after five years, Edelgard could not completely trust Mercedes, and the fact that Professor Byleth did was causing the emperor to lose her focus on studying her teacher’s body.

Byleth opened her eyes, looked directly at Edelgard and gave her a smile. “Okay, class, everyone take your seats and let’s resume.” She gave the emperor one last smile, then resumed her lecture about leadership skills.

_Why does she do this to me?_ Edelgard asked herself, thinking once more about brushing the professor’s hair.

\--

“Hello, Edelgard!” said Mercedes in her typically cheery way.

The emperor was resting in the sauna and had been dreaming about Byleth before Mercedes came in. “Hello, Mercedes,” responded Edelgard.

“I hope I’m not interrupting your alone time?”

“Oh, no, not at all, Mercedes, this sauna is for all of us. Please, take a seat.”

Mercedes sat down across from Edelgard but did not bother to remove her towel. Edelgard also still wore her towel, but not because nakedness made her feel vulnerable. On the contrary, the emperor felt like her muscular body was intimidating. She didn’t go out of her way to show it off, but there were times in the sauna when she’d briefly had to uncover herself and it gave her a surge of power.

Edelgard doubted very much that she’d ever want to feel power over her teacher.

“How are you doing today, Edelgard?” asked the perpetually cheery Mercedes.

“Tired, if I’m being honest. I just finished an intense workout session at the training ground. Now I have to consider our next battle strategy.”

“Oh, it must be exhausting having all your responsibilities.”

“There’s no time to feel sorry for myself,” said Edelgard, “If we are to win this war and secure the peace, I have very little time for leisure.”

“I will pray for you,” said Mercedes softly, closing her eyes.

_And there it is_ thought the emperor. _Pray? Pray to whom?_ “So you still pray, Mercedes? After everything you’ve learned about the church?”

“The church is not the goddess. It never has been. That’s the only explanation I have to offer you, Edelgard. Because I know the goddess is real, even if the church is deceitful.”

Edelgard remained silent, considering the church girl. _Everything she says and does is exactly what she should say and do to remain in my good graces. So why does that make her seem even more suspicious?_

The emperor closed her eyes, daydreaming of a possible future where she and Byleth were in bed, the professor spooning her in a tight embrace. There must have been a smile on her face because her thoughts were soon interrupted by that familiar sing-songy voice.

“Oh, Edelgard, it looks like you’re dreaming about someone,” laughed Mercedes.

“What?” said Edelgard, with not a small degree of hostility.

Mercedes was unfazed. “I said it looks like you’re dreaming of being in someone’s arms.”

“Mercedes, I don’t believe this is anyway to talk to your emperor.”

“Oh, I suppose not,” agreed Mercedes, who then looked down, biting her lip.

“Indeed not.”

Mercedes turned her head up and looked Edelgard directly in the eye, as though _she_ were the powerful emperor. Her towel slipped down her body, perhaps deliberately, enough to reveal a significant amount of cleavage. “For a moment, Edelgard, I thought you were dreaming of me.”

The church girl then stood up, looking down at Edelgard. She smiled and had the look of a predator gazing at its prey.

Edelgard was so shocked that she stammered, looking for anything to say. “I, uh, I . . . I think the professor has scheduled the two of us to have dinner with her later today, Mercedes. You’d b . . . better go get ready.”

“The same goes for you, Edelgard,” said Mercedes, pulling up her towel. “I’ll see you there,” she added as she walked out the door, swaying her hips in an exaggerated manner.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story continues, Edelgard's suspicion of Mercedes growing only stronger . . . the emperor is sure that one way or the other, she'll get to bottom, errrr, get to the bottom of what's going on.

Edelgard found herself motivated to eat Beast Meat Teppanyaki, but she knew the meal would not motivate her to do much of anything—except recover after her workout. Professor Byleth hadn’t worked out that day as far as Edelgard knew, but she never knew her teacher to turn down a healthy serving of protein. Mercedes, on the other hand . . . Mercedes made no secret that she didn’t care for Beast Meat Teppanyaki, but she nevertheless seemed happy to be in their company.

“Thank you so much for inviting me, Professor!” said the healer. 

Byleth smiled and gave Mercedes a single nod.

“Yes,” started El, “it’s always nice sharing a meal with you, Professor, even if the main course isn’t as tasty as I’d like.”

Mercedes laughed. “Oh, you also don’t like Beast Meat Teppanyaki, Edelgard? I can’t say it’s my favorite, but when you consider some of the villagers who have to go without meals, I’m very thankful to the goddess for providing us with this food or any food, for that matter.”

Byleth agreed with Mercedes and once again gave a single nod.

Edelgard decided not to respond to that bit of sanctimoniousness. Her eyes surveyed the room instead, and she saw Bernadetta sitting at the other end of the hall. _What’s the special occasion, I wonder?_ Getting that girl out of her room was easier than it was five years ago, but Bernie was so unpredictable, even now.

Edelgard next spied Ignatz, whom Byleth had recruited to the Black Eagles five years ago. _Teacher sure does have a soft spot for the sensitive ones._

About to take a bite of meat, Edelgard heard Mercedes suddenly say, “Oh, Professor, have I told you how much I love your hair?” The emperor’s eyes shot immediately to the church girl. “It looks so soft and lovely! Oh, Professor, I hope this is not too horrible of me, but . . . may I touch your hair?”

Byleth smiled and nodded.

El’s jaw dropped as Mercedes gently ran her fingers through Byleth’s hair. Mercedes smiled as though _her_ dream had just come true.

“Edelgard, you’re a fan of our professor’s hair, aren’t you? Why don’t you feel it too?”

Now El’s jaw really dropped. _What the hell is going on here? Does this woman have some kind of preternatural ability to read my mind?_

“I . . .uhhh, yes, Professor, your hair is very pretty, but I haven’t been . . . I mean it’s not like I have . . .” stammered Edelgard.

“Professor, would you mind if our emperor felt your soft hair?” asked Mercedes.

Byleth smiled at Edelgard.

“Professor, I . . .may I? I am curious now that Mercedes has talked about it.”

Byleth smiled at the emperor and nodded yet again.

El stood from her chair and walked behind Byleth. She moved her trembling right hand to the crown of her professor’s head. Fingers spread, she prepared for that first contact . . .

“Edelgard? Edelgard? Wake up, Edelgard, wake up!” said a voice. El opened her eyes and saw Mercedes leaning down, in her face.

_Of course it was a dream. How much of this was a dream?_

“Oh, Edelgard, you must have been so sleepy to have fallen asleep mid-bite!” Mercedes laughed, pointing to the emperor’s plate of food. “What were you dreaming about, anyway?”

“Uhh, well . . .”

“Or should I say _whom_ were you dreaming about? Me?” Despite her tone, Mercedes did not seem like she was teasing.

“No, no, I was thinking about the upcoming battle. And speaking of which, I should retire to my room to look over some maps. Thank you for the meal, Professor, it’s always a treat. And thank you too, Mercedes, for being fine company.”

“Oh, I’m only _fine_ company, Edelgard?” giggled Mercedes. “I was hoping for a more positive review than that.”

Edelgard gave a courtesy smile to Mercedes, then she gave a shy one to Byleth. “I’ll see you both later,” she said, walking away.

\--

Edelgard returned to her room and looked over maps as she promised, but her mind was still on the dining hall—specifically, Mercedes. The church girl seemed so daring all of a sudden. People often mistook Mercedes as a delicate flower who knew nothing of the world, but Edelgard knew that wasn’t true. But this? Teasing Edelgard about dreaming of her? What was Mercedes trying to do? Be disarming? Was she bored? With anyone else, Edelgard might not give it a second thought, but with someone she still considered a guest in the Black Eagle house . . . the emperor could not ignore it.

“Knock, knock! Hello? Hello, Edelgard are you in there?” cried a familiar voice from outside the door. _That_ voice. Mercedes.

“Mercedes? What’s going on?”

“Oh, Edelgard, something horrible has happened and . . . I just don’t know what to do!”

Edelgard opened the door and motioned Mercedes to come in.

“What? What? Is it Claude? Dimitri?” asked the panicked emperor.

Mercedes shook her head. “It’s Emile.”

“Jeritza? I mean . . . yes, right, Emile. What happened? Is he okay?”

“Someone on the monastery grounds attacked him.”

“What?! They attacked Jer . . . Emile?! Who would do such a thing? Why would they do such a thing?”

Mercedes paused long enough for Edelgard to hear her sniffle. “They hit his head over and over and called him horrible names.”

“What? What kind of names? Is he okay?” asked Edelgard.

Mercedes took a seat on the bed. “Yes, physically, he’s fine. But emotionally . . . this will hurt him badly. He was doing so well too.” Mercedes sighed. “They called him horrible names because he’s bisexual.”

Edelgard was only a little surprised to hear this from Mercedes. Even when she was the Flame Emperor, she’d heard rumors about the Death Knight’s sexuality.

“Emile is devastated. He thought he was safe here! I thought he was safe here!” She paused. “Am I safe here?”

“Of course you are, Mercedes. We will find out who did this to Emile and bring them to justice—harsh justice.”

“But I’m the same as Emile, you see. I’m also bisexual. And I worry that I’ll be next.”

Now this did surprise Edelgard. The church never frowned on different sexualities, but some of its members did—enough so some people conflated the acolytes’ beliefs with the church’s. It was surprising that someone so dedicated to the church made that distinction. She hadn’t given Mercedes enough credit.

“That’s wonderful, Mercedes.” Edelgard smiled, finally feeling some kind of kinship with her. “I’m glad you know who you are.”

Mercedes showed no sign of relief, though, and she kept rocking back and forth on Edelgard’s bed. “Wherever we go, someone will always hate people like me and Emile, won’t they? You can’t protect us—no one can!”

El hesitated. She finally said, “We can only do the best we can. But please know, Mercedes, that I take this issue very seriously. After all . . .” _taking a small risk_ “I’m bisexual too.”

The church girl looked up as though the goddess had given her a revelation. She smiled from ear to ear. “Oh, that’s fantastic, Edelgard! Now that you mention it,” she laughed, “I have noticed you looking at the professor in a longing way . . . ”

“ _Mercedes!_ ”

“It’ll be our little secret, don’t you worry. Oh, she is beautiful, isn’t she? I would never tell anyone about your crush, Edelgard.”

_My_ crush. _If it were only that insignificant_.

“She is beautiful, but I could never see myself with her. I prefer a different kind of woman. In fact, I have my eye on such a woman here on the monastery grounds, but you have to promise not to tell a soul.”

“I would never even dream of it, Mercedes.”

“Well, you see, I cannot get my mind off of . . . actually, I’ll keep her name to myself.”

“That’s perfectly fine. If you want to tell me, your secret is safe with me. But I won’t pressure you.”

“I appreciate that, Edelgard. And I do feel safer now that I know you have a personal stake in fighting homophobia.”

“I have a personal stake in fighting all evil.”

Mercedes smiled. “You do an excellent job of pretending to be tough when it’s needed.” She stood up from the bed, walked to Edelgard, and gave her a hug, her arms low so she was embracing the small of the emperor’s back.

Edelgard sensed that Mercedes was smelling her hair.

With that, the inexplicable church girl smiled once more, walked to the door, turned around and said, “You’ll know soon enough which woman I want.” Deliberately swaying her hips, Mercedes walked out the door.

_What?!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get more heated between Edelgard and Mercedes, and Edelgard finally discovers the church's girl's ultimate plan. Also, Edelgard accepts the fact that she's a bottom, errrr, that is to say, Edelgard accepts certain facts before hitting rock bottom.

Mercedes interrupting Edelgard’s sauna sessions was becoming a regular occurrence now. Edelgard had just finished her daily training session and had gone right to the sauna, where she anticipated meeting no one. And sure enough, no one was there . . . for two minutes, anyway. Then voluptuous Mercedes walked in, towel wrapped around her body, her long hair down and not protected by the church habit.

“Oh, we meet again, my emperor!” laughed Mercedes.

“Have a seat. How have things been since we talked last night? How is Emile doing? How are you doing?”

“Oh, I’m doing fine. Our talk helped. Emile is . . . I think he’ll be okay, so long as something like that doesn’t happen again.”

“It won’t,” said Edelgard, “Not on my watch.”

“I’m glad to hear that, and I have confidence in you.” Mercedes yawned loudly, closed her eyes, and interlocked her fingers behind her head. Edelgard noticed that Mercedes sported underarm hair. _She can pull that look off. I don’t know about me, ha._

“You know,” started Mercedes, “if I’m being honest, I’ve known for a long time that you’ve been infatuated with the professor.”

Edelgard almost gasped . . . to talk about this in the privacy of her room was one thing, but in the public sauna was another thing altogether.

“And I always thought that was such a mistake on your part. You’re strong. You’re stubborn. You’re immovable. If you can’t have your way, you take your way. Professor is like that too. I thought it was such a bad match.”

Edelgard literally gulped.

“But then, the more I watched you, the more I realized I was wrong. All of that is how you want to be seen by others. But the real you? You’re a hurt person, Edelgard. You give orders all the time, but you desperately need someone else to give you orders. You need to follow, but you have to lead. And that’s why you are so attracted to our professor. But it’s still a bad match, sweetie.”

Edelgard felt dizzy.

“Our professor will always think of you as a student, no matter how much land you liberate. No matter how many allies you make. No matter how strong you make the Empire—you’ll always be the student, not a lover.”

“I don’t think that’s . . . ”

“It’s true, Edelgard. You want her. You don’t need her. You need a woman who will take care of you, the real you. The vulnerable you. The needy you. You need someone older. Someone more confident than you are. Someone who thinks that you are beautiful, inside and out,” Mercedes paused, “You need me.”

Edelgard’s world started to spin. So _this_ is why Mercedes had been coming on so strong lately.

“I’ve wanted you ever since Professor recruited me. I never knew you that well before. You were obviously pretty, but there are lots of pretty girls in the world, Edelgard. Then I got to know you and liked you almost immediately. Maybe it’s because I saw right through you from the start. I saw the artist in you, the tender soul that protected itself with so many artificial layers. I wanted to know that artist and that tender, needy soul. So five years. Five years getting to know you. Getting to admire you. And all this time, there’s been no one to take care of you. You need me. And I need you.” Mercedes stood up, and walked across the room to sit next to the emperor.

Edelgard was coming to some sense of clarity when the sauna door opened. Bernadetta walked in.

“Ohhhh…whoa, whoa, am I interrupting?!?! Oh, no, I am, aren’t I? Oh, please don’t throw me out of a window, I’ll leave right now!”

As Bernie left, Edelgard tried to break the tension by saying, “Ha, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen Bernadetta in the sauna before.”

Mercedes smiled but ignored the comment. “Edelgard, I said that I need you. And you don’t know it, I know you don’t know it, but you need me too. Why don’t you give me a chance?”

Edelgard looked down and then looked up again, trying to look Mercedes in the eye. “I’m flattered. I really, really am. But I have a war to win and I can’t . . . ”

“Kiss me.”

“. . . ha.”

“Kiss me.”

“I, uhh . . . ”

“Edelgard, kiss me. Right now, kiss me.”

Mercedes was right—she did need someone to take care of her. She did need someone to direct her. She did need someone. Why couldn’t Mercedes be that someone? Edelgard moved her head towards Mercedes, and their lips found each other. Their first kiss was a surprise for both of them, but then the church girl started kissing with more purpose, more passion. Edelgard’s lips were there to meet her the entire way. It felt right, the whole thing felt right, just like Mercedes said. Their mutual need fed on itself and they kissed with more and more passion, more desperation. Edelgard could taste a lip gloss flavor that was not her own.

Mercedes used her hands and physically moved Edelgard’s head to the right. No one had ever dreamed of manhandling the emperor like that since she’d taken the crown. Mercedes moved her lips to the emperor’s neck. She started peppering Edelgard’s with soft little kisses, and then she started to trace the tip of her tongue up and down her neck. Mercedes brushed aside some strands of blond hair as she continued to worship Edelgard’s delicate skin.

Edelgard kept her head tilted to the side and lost herself in reality. _Is this happening? Don’t let this be another dream!_

Mercedes tilted her head back and began kissing her lips again. Edelgard started moving her hands all up and down her new girlfriend’s body. _Girlfriend? I guess so_. Both of the women’s towels were beginning to come loose, but neither of them cared, especially not when Mercedes was busy kissing Edelgard’s collarbone.

Moving her mouth away from her new girlfriend’s body, Mercedes said, “I told you that you needed me.”

“Mmmmm . . . I think . . . let me . . .”

“What if I don’t want to let you think?”

Edelgard smiled.

“When you’re in my arms, _I’m_ the emperor,” said Mercedes, not teasing.

“Mercedes, I’m not sure . . . ”

“You don’t have to be sure. You just have to do what I tell you. But if you genuinely want out of something, if you are ever truly not comfortable with what’s going on, then we need a safeword. I’ve got it! Our safeword can be _crests_. That way, everything will come to a halt when you say that.”

Edelgard felt like puddy. “That’s a good idea,” she mumbled.

“I’m going to take care of you, Edelgard. You take care of the continent, and I will take care of you.”

“That sounds good to me, Mercedes.”

“Oh, no, no. My name is no longer Mercedes to you. I’m now Emperor Mercedes,” she said with a sly smile.

“Okay. That sounds good to me . . . Emperor Mercedes.” Somehow, in this context, it felt right. It felt like it was just what she needed, exactly what Merced . . . Emperor Mercedes promised.

“Meet me tonight at the Goddess Tower. Wear your war gear. The helmet too.”

And with that command, Emperor Mercedes pulled her towel snug, stood, and left the sauna.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El meets up with Mercedes and the two women deliver the explicitness that you, dear reader, have been waiting to experience. Y'know, for science.

As instructed, Edelgard donned all of her war battle gear and made her way to the Goddess Tower. If anyone saw her, they likely wouldn’t ask any questions of the perpetually busy emperor. If they did ask questions, she’d make up something about talking with scouts returning from the field. But no one would ask questions, surely not.

And no one did. In fact, no one even saw her. Mercedes told the emperor to meet her late at night, after anyone with any sense had turned in for bed. But one thing Edelgard lacked at the moment was sense. All she knew was passion and desire. Who would have guessed that Mercedes would have been the one to ignite that kind of passion in her? Professor would never be too far from her mind, but the professor was a dream. Mercedes was reality, and Mercedes did know her well, at least well enough to know that Edelgard craved a caring but dominant partner. Mercedes was already proving herself to be all that and more.

Arriving to the top of the tower, Edelgard had trouble seeing much at all, but then Mercedes stepped out of the shadows . . . completely naked.

“Mercedes, I . . . ”

Mercedes smiled. “You what? See anything you like?”

Edelgard was turned on by the sheer boldness of it, the daringness. It turned her on a lot, in fact. She tried to look over her new girlfriend’s body, but Mercedes sharply said, “No, no, Edelgard, eyes up here,” pointing at her own eyes.

Edelgard did as she was told. The dichotomy between Mercedes’s strict orders and her sing-songy voice did nothing but get El turned on even more.

“Good. Now I bet you’re wondering why I came to the Goddness Tower naked while I had you come fully clothed.” Actually, Edelgard wasn’t wondering at all or thinking about much of anything at all . . . except how horny she was. “Well, as I told you, I am now Emperor Mercedes to you. But Edelgard . . . it looks like you’re wearing my gear. Tsk, tsk, naughty girl. Take off your helmet and give it to me.”

The emperor— _former emperor?_ —removed her distinctive helmet and handed it to Mercedes like it was the most natural thing in the world. The church girl became the de facto emperor as she placed the helmet on her head, her hair spilling out of it. “Edelgard . . . you’re still wearing the rest of my gear. I need you to remove it all and give it to me. Get naked. Give me your gear. Do it right now.”

Edelgard froze. Her anxiety used all of its voice to yell no, but her desire overwhelmed it by screaming yes. Edelgard slowly began to take off all her clothes, handing garments one by one to Mercedes. As El stripped, she realized something: she did not feel like her strong body was going to intimidate her new girlfriend.

She was correct.

“You really do have an amazing body, sweetie,” said Mercedes, “Those muscles . . . they’re everywhere. Even your back looks like something an artist would draw. You’re a beautiful woman, Edelgard. Now get on your knees.”

Edelgard lowered herself as she watched Mercedes put on all of her gear.

“It’s not a perfect fit, but it doesn’t need to be. As long as we’re a perfect fit.” Mercedes walked to her kneeling girlfriend and put a hand underneath her chin. “You know, I feel very powerful in this gear!”

Edelgard couldn’t help but chuckle. “You look very powerful.”

Mercedes smiled. “My, my, my, whatever will I do with my naked girlfriend in the Goddess Tower. Are you not worried if someone comes up here and sees us? Perhaps Bernie escapes here every night and we’re none the wiser?”

“If Bernadetta sees this, she might throw herself from the window,” said Edelgard, both of them now laughing.

“Well, we wouldn’t want that,” replied Mercedes, “But I know I want you.”

“I want you too . . . Emperor Mercedes.”

“Such respect. Good. I think I’ll let you kiss me for that.”

Mercedes kneeled next to Edelgard and they began kissing as though they had years of experience with each other. At first, it was almost as though Edelgard wanted to devour Mercedes, but without a word, the dominant woman took over. She moved her hands all over her naked girlfriend’s body. She caressed her breasts, kissed her arm muscles, squeezed her butt, and ran her fingers through El’s long blond hair. Edelgard tried to reciprocate, but Mercedes had taken complete control of her mind and her body. It was almost as though the emperor was frozen, merely a trapped eagle who’d finally met her match.

Edelgard felt herself getting wet and she was almost to the point of begging Mercedes to go further, to touch her where she needed it the most.

“Edelgard . . .” started Mercedes.

“Please, call me El. Call me El, please please please call me El. You can call me El.”

“El,” said Mercedes, moving four fingers between her girlfriend's legs, “you’re really turned on, aren’t you?”

“Oh yes, please.”

“I can feel that.” Mercedes raised her fingers to her mouth and licked off El’s wetness. “Ooh, you taste nice.”

El bit her lip and almost begged, “I want you, please, I need you, please, tell me what to do, I’ll do anything. Mercedes . . . I mean Emperor M . . . Mercedes, please, I need it, I need you, tell me what to do, I’ll do anything, anything you want.”

Adjusting her new helmet, Mercedes said, “You’ll do anything? What if I said to give up your mission against the church?”

Any natural concerns over that question belonged to another person, El thought, not the naked woman with a wet pussy in the Goddess Tower. “I would give it up, yes, if you told me to give it up.”

Mercedes smiled. “That’s what I wanted to hear. But I’m not going to tell you to do that. Instead, I’m going to tell you to earn your clothes back.”

El looked up. “I don’t want my clothes back.”

Mercedes smiled again, slowly removing the imperial pants and undergarments. Tossing them at her feet, she said, “Oh, you haven’t even heard how you’ll be earning them back.” She walked forward and stood tall over El. “You’re going to worship me.”

That was all Edelgard, the legal Emperor of Adrestia, needed to hear. Still kneeling, she crawled to Mercedes and put her mouth between the church girl’s legs. Mercedes had a significant amount of pubic hair—as well as hairy legs—and Edelgard would later swear to herself that all of that hair held a lot of her partner’s pheromones, which El inhaled and inhaled again and again with each lick.

Edelgard made her tongue flat and started at the bottom of Mercedes’s labia. Her lover was already wet, had been wet for some time now. El’s tongue slowly moved up Mercedes’s labia. She was getting used to the new feelings: the pubic hair tickling her tongue, the new taste that also seemed strangely familiar, the texture of Mercedes’s genitals. El began moving her tongue side to side, her semi-conscious goal not being to stimulate Mercedes immediately but get them both used to the intimacy.

“Mm,” groaned Mercedes, “such a very good girl.”

El kept licking, now with a slightly more rapid rhythm. She used her fingers to expose more of Mercedes’s clit, which she started to tease now with her licks. Each of her licks started to get more frantic, more desperate. The majority of her licks went from bottom-to-top because that’s what Mercedes’s body responded to the most, but still El mixed her techniques, sometimes going side-to-side, sometimes making little circles around Mercedes’s clit. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been licking. Five minutes? Ten? Twenty? 

“Oh, El, El, El, right there, right there, right there, keep doing that,” said Mercedes as she started moving her hips up and down, grinding her wet crotch all over Edelgard’s face.

El did as she was told and kept focusing on her lover’s clit. As Mercedes rubbed her pussy on El’s face, El rubbed her face back, making sure to rub her lover’s clit with her nose when her tongue lost direct contact.

Edelgard’s face was a sticky, wet mess, but they both kept up their rhythm. “El, I’m going to cum, I’m going to cum, I’m going to cum, keep going, right there, I’m going to cum!” El kept licking and licking and licking as Mercedes started making a consistent groan that grew in volume with each of her girlfriend’s licks. Her toes began to curl and her entire body began to shake against El’s face, but El kept licking and licking, even through Mercedes’s orgasm.

As Mercedes came down from the high of her orgasm, El was still licking. She would have let her submissive lover keep licking, but she had other plans. Patting El on the crown of her head, Mercedes said, “I think you earned back your clothes, sweetheart.”

Edelgard looked up, and in the moonlight, Mercedes could see her lover’s face flushed red. She could also see the wetness around El’s lips, chin, cheeks, nose, and even part of her forehead. “I hope you are pleased, my emperor . . . my goddess,” said El.

“Oh, yes, sweet girl, I am more pleased than I can say. And I like this goddess talk. Looks like you found religion after all.”

El laughed with joy, almost as though she’d just been released from prison. “Looks like I did.” She could still taste Mercedes and probably would for hours. _Good, I want to become addicted to her taste_.

“If I’m your goddess, then I want you to worship all of me. Not just what I have between my legs, horny girl,” said the dominant woman.

“I’ll do anything you want, Goddess Mercedes, I’ll do anything you want, my goddess, please let me do anything for you. Please use me, I need to be used, I need it, I need it so much.”

Mercedes raised her right arm. “Every part of me is holy, every part of me is sacred. And you will worship all of me. Lick and kiss my armpit until I tell you to stop.”

Under normal circumstances, Edelgard might have thought _What the fuck?_ But being hornier than she’d ever been in her life did not make for normal circumstances. She moved her mouth to the hairy armpit as though she’d craved it for years.

“Mmm, good girl, good girl,” said Mercedes as El began to lick. “You see, I do not shave my body hair. I do not trim it. I do not alter it. I am completely natural, just as the Goddess made me. When you lick my body, you’re licking holiness and godliness.”

El’s brain might have processed half of that. She was too busy taking in the new sensations. Mercedes tasted a bit salty, but it was not a bad taste. And somehow being told to do this—and then doing it—made Edelgard feel complete, whole. It made her feel useful, like someone wanted her and needed her. Mercedes must have trusted her to reveal this unusual kink, so El made sure to lick passionately. She was incredibly turned on just knowing that Mercedes was turned on.

“Good girl,” said Mercedes. “If you continue to show such good behavior, perhaps next time I’ll let you suck on my breasts. But not tonight. You have to earn that.”

El kept licking Mercedes’s armpit as though she were in total bliss.

“Good, good. That felt sooo nice, El. But here’s the secret. It’s not just _my_ body that is holy. Your body is holy too. All of it. The Goddess made you too. And I have to convey that to you in ways you’ve never considered.” Mercedes smiled. “Go to the tower window and lean out of it. Your new emperor-goddess has to show you that you are perfect and holy, just like me.”

Curious and turned on, Edelgard walked toward the window. She rested her forearms on the frame of the window and looked back over her shoulder at Mercedes.

“Excuse me, Edelgard? Did I tell you that you had permission to look back at me?”

“No, Mer . . . Emperor Mercedes . . . my goddess, no, you didn’t.”

“That’s right. Turn back around. Look out at the monastery grounds. Arch your back and give yourself up to me.”

El smiled from ear to ear and did exactly as she was told. She was in a state of total bliss. Yes, the sex was amazing, but to have someone give her such strict instruction yet treat her with kindness . . . to have full permission to please someone else . . . it was liberating. It was freedom. It was a new world.

Then El felt Mercedes’s tongue licking her asshole.

“ _MERCEDES, WHAT . . . UM . . ._ hey . . . oh . . .”

El had never experienced such a thing, never heard such a thing, never dreamed such a thing. Every instinct in her said _no! use the safeword!_ and El almost did just that. But with each lick, El calmed down and things felt more natural . . . things felt good. She eventually gave into the feeling and started to appreciate the intimacy.

Edelgard bit her lip and moved her butt more against Mercedes’s face. Oh, it felt so good, such a surprise! She heard Mercedes making noises back there, noises she might later describe as slurping noises. El’s new goddess was using a lot of saliva and things were starting to become the best kind of messy.

Mercedes’s mouth left the younger woman’s asshole. “I told you, El. Every part of you is holy. Every part of you is sacred and beautiful. If the Goddess did not mean for us to do this, it would not feel so right,” she said, then started licking the whole of Edelgard’s butt crack.

Whatever El felt at that moment was meta-linguistic. It was enough for her to forget her own name.

“Sweet Edelgard,” said Mercedes, some drool forming a tendril down her chin, “you have needed a firm but gentle hand for a long, long time, haven’t you?”

“Mmmmmm,” replied El, words still beyond her control.

“Well, that’s what I’m going to give you. A firm but gentle hand.” Mercedes then folded her fingers and thumb together and slowly inserted her hand into El’s wet vagina.

Once again, El had a brief sense of panic, but she was becoming something else there in the Goddess Tower. She was becoming Mercedes’s property. And that calmed her from all anxieties and fears, especially the small anxiety about Mercedes’s hand inside her.

“Sweetie, you’re a bit tight, so you let me know if this hurts or if you want me to stop at any time. I won’t get upset, and I won’t ask any questions,” said Mercedes as she started to rotate her wrist slightly.

“Mmmm, okay, my goddess . . . ” smiled El as she gave into the sensation. “Please goddess, it’s yours, my pussy is yours, I’m yours, I’m your property, I’m your El.”

“Sweet Edelgard. I know you’re mine,” said Mercedes as she once again moved her tongue to her girlfriend’s asshole.

Mercedes was very careful with her beautiful new property. She rotated her wrist carefully and thrust her arm back-and-forth gently, wanting to take in whatever responses Edelgard gave her. But sweet El seemed to love anything Mercedes did. So the de facto emperor once again started rimming her obedient girlfriend.

Feeling Mercedes’s tongue on her asshole again was bliss, more than bliss. And El didn’t know what her new goddess was doing with her hand, but it felt perfect, it felt . . . orgasmic. All of it felt orgasmic, even thinking about it as it was happening felt orgasmic.

And so Edelgard orgasmed, a feeling stronger than she’d ever experienced. She felt her thighs wobble all over Mercedes’s face. She thought she might scream if she could ever catch a breath. She lost all control of her body and was totally vulnerable to Mercedes. Now this was submission, this was total submission. But eventually the feeling subsided and Edelgard dangled out of the window, a smile on her face and her brow covered with sweat. Mercedes was still licking her asshole, and the woman’s hand was still inside El’s pussy.

Then the lovers heard footsteps at the door and they turned their heads.

“OH NOOOOOO!!!!! Stupid, stupid, Bernie!!! They’re going to kill you for this!!! They really will throw you out of a window! This window! Oh, no, please don’t hurt me! Run away, Bernie!”

Bernadetta then ended her cameo appearance by running quickly away, but not before seeing that Mercedes still had her hand inside Edelgard.

“What. In. The. World. Was Bernadetta doing in the Goddess Tower at this hour?” asked El.

“That’s all you have to say right now?” laughed Mercedes as she slowly slid her hand out of her property.

Somewhere down below the Goddess Tower, both women heard a voice yell, “Oh, Bernie, run for your life!!!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath and conclusion to the adventures of Edelgard and Mercedes. The two women become even more intimate.

“Oh, no,” started Mercedes, “you know her better than I do, El. How concerned should we be?”

“Not at all. I’m more worried for Bernie. She’s legitimately terrified that we’ll kill her.”

“Oh, poor girl,” sighed Mercedes.

“Mmmmm,” murmured Edelgard, as though she were responding to something else.

“Come here, sweetie, get in my arms.”

El yet again did as she was told. She scooted to her lover, pressed her body against hers, and smiled as Mercedes wrapped her arms around her.

“This is where you belong, right here,” said Mercedes, stroking Edelgard’s head. El murmured again, and Mercedes instinctively gave her a gentle kiss on the crown of her head.

“That was wonderful. You are wonderful. Everything is wonderful.”

Mercedes chuckled. “Your face is really flushed. You look so pretty.”

El looked up. “You’re flushed too, my goddess.”

“Well, the strong and powerful Edelgard von Hresvelg just made me very, very happy, indeed,” responded the dominant woman with the sing-songy voice.

El moved her head from Mercedes’s breasts and reached up and stroked the woman’s face.

Mercedes lowered her face and kissed Edelgard, but not with lust—with burgeoning love. “I can taste myself on your lips,” she told El.

“I can taste myself on your lips too.”

Mercedes was the one speechless this time. “Oh . . . I wasn’t think . . . I mean . . . oh, no, I should have thought . . .”

Edelgard laughed loud enough so that the sound echoed off the walls. “I’m kidding. I didn’t taste anything at all. Even if I did, I suppose it takes two to tango.”

“Indeed, sweetie, which reminds me—if you ever are uncomfortable with anything that happens, please, please let me know or use your safeword. I care about you and I never want to hurt you in any way.”

“I came close to using it, but I trust you enough already so that I let things play out,” said El, still able to feel Mercedes’s saliva along her butt crack.

Her lover smiled and kissed the top of her head. “Maybe we should get out of here before whomever Bernie was meeting shows up. Put your war clothes back on.”

“Yes ma’am,” said El, following instructions yet again. “Wait, what are you going to wear?”

“Heh, I brought my clothes. They’re in the corner of the stairwell. Unless you wanted to see me trot around naked through the monastery grounds?”

“Well . . .”

“I think not,” said Mercedes, smirking. “But nice try, my strong and very powerful emperor who would never let anyone dominate her. Now go get my clothes and dress me.”

“Yes, goddess.”

\--

Walking away from the Goddess Tower, Mercedes reached for Edelgard’s hand, which she held for the duration of their walk to El’s room. For that entire night, it was the most intimate and special moment for both of them.

\--

Later that morning, after about only ninety minutes of sleep, Edelgard sat in class. She should be tired, she should be exhausted, she should be on the verge of falling asleep.

She’d never been more awake in her life.

It wasn’t just that she had a new girlfriend. It wasn’t just that her new girlfriend was kinky. It was that her new girlfriend understood her. Mercedes— _Mercedes, of all people!_ —was finally the person to give her what she’d been craving all her adult life. Dominance. A firm but caring hand. That thought made El remember the girth of Mercedes’s literal firm but caring hand.

Bernie had been avoiding eye contact with El all morning. Professor Byleth hadn’t arrived yet, and Bernie was currently covering her head with a book and covering her face with another one. _She’ll be fine_. _Somehow I’ll let her know she did nothing wrong. Maybe I’ll be able to learn whom she was supposed to meet._

El then heard footsteps from the back of the room. Turning her head to see who it was, El saw Mercedes in her familiar church clothes. Edelgard gave her just the hint of a smile. _It’s going to be so difficult to keep this a secret_.

Mercedes walked past her normal seat, though, and walked right to El’s table. She stood over the emperor. “Edelgard,” she said, her sing-songy voice more pronounced than usual, “may I sit with you today?”

“Umm . . . of course, Mercedes. I’m glad to see you in good health. We certainly count on your healing powers on the battlefield.”

“Indeed.”

“Well, I . . . uh, you see . . .”

Then Mercedes did something far more shocking than anything she did in the Goddess Tower. She reached for Edelgard’s hand, clasped it, and kissed it. She didn’t let go. _In front of everyone!_

El blushed and couldn’t look away from their interlocked fingers.

“I’ll do anything I can to help the strong, powerful, unconquerable Edelgard von Hresvelg.” Then, as Byleth finally walked in the room, Mercedes kissed El on the lips.

If Byleth or anyone else noticed, they didn’t say anything.

El moved her lips away from Mercedes’s mouth. She smiled, tears started to fall from her face. “I love you, Mercedes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was my first fanfic ever and my first explicit, NSFW story ever! It was fun to write, that's for sure. I'll improve as I go, but I plan to write a lot more. I can't decide if I want to write a sequel to this story or a similar story involving another unlikely matchup from the FE3H world.


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